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Need Port Activity suggestions for the Danube Christmas Market cruise


claypot77
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It's official!! I put my deposit down today on the 2018 AMAWaterways Iconic Christmas market cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest!! So excited!!

 

I'm almost equally excited about getting the Solo Supplement waived completely on a French Balcony room and saving $1,900!!

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It's official!! I put my deposit down today on the 2018 AMAWaterways Iconic Christmas market cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest!! So excited!!

 

I'm almost equally excited about getting the Solo Supplement waived completely on a French Balcony room and saving $1,900!!

 

Good for you! :D

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It's official!! I put my deposit down today on the 2018 AMAWaterways Iconic Christmas market cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest!! So excited!!

 

I'm almost equally excited about getting the Solo Supplement waived completely on a French Balcony room and saving $1,900!!

 

Nice! We'll be counting down the days with you to the 2018 Christmas markets!

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To begin Vienna -

 

You should have bus shuttles to the Rathausplatz Weinachsmarkt (Christmas market). It is large, good, and busy, often with lots of teenagers. The shopping is good and there is lots of food. I especially like the Honey cakes and cookies, an Austrian specialty. Be sure to check out the market entry on the Universitatsring.

 

Across the street from the Rathausplatz is the Burgtheater and just to the left is Teinfaltstrasse - easy to find on maps. Follow it for about two blocks until it ends at a church (Schottenkirche). Jog to the right and you will be in the Freyung and the Altwiener Chriskindlemarkt, a small vetted market for local, handmade, and traditional Christmas goods. This is my favorite in Vienna and seems to have more locals than tourists.

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One of my wish list items to do while in Europe is to see the Nutcracker Ballet. Really my only options are Prague or Budapest and it depends on their schedules so I guess I really don't have a choice... but anyone have experience with either? I haven't looked into it too seriously yet, so I'm not even sure if either city will be performing it Dec. 2018.

 

Sooo... I was just re-reading this thread and had forgotten that Jazzbeau mentioned they went to the Nutcracker in Budapest. Anyone have any experience seeing it in Prague?

 

Thanks!!

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We missed the Nutcracker in Budapest last time by one day. We will be watching the options for either Budapest or Prague for next year.

 

Bubbulz, do you mind giving me a heads-up once you find the info is available? I'll be looking periodically starting in January, so I'll be sure to let you know know if I find something, too. Thanks!!:D

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One of my wish list items to do while in Europe is to see the Nutcracker Ballet. Really my only options are Prague or Budapest and it depends on their schedules so I guess I really don't have a choice... but anyone have experience with either? I haven't looked into it too seriously yet, so I'm not even sure if either city will be performing it Dec. 2018.

 

Sooo... I was just re-reading this thread and had forgotten that Jazzbeau mentioned they went to the Nutcracker in Budapest. Anyone have any experience seeing it in Prague?

 

Thanks!!

 

Wasn't me! Never been to Budapest :(

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  • 3 weeks later...

More about Vienna -

 

If you take a walking tour, you will probably end at the Cathedral, Stephansplatz. Around the cathedral is a small Christmas market specializing in handcrafts and local food products. There are some nice things there. Along the north side of the Stephansplatz is one of my favorite shops in Vienna - Pirker Mariazell - Lebzelterei & Wachszieherei. Their speciality is honey cookies and cakes. My favorite cakes are the narrow layer cakes with fruit filling that have been covered in dark chocolate. YUM! The decorated cookies are good too.

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I have really enjoyed reading the interesting posts on this thread. Thanks everyone! We will be flying out on December 1st for our first ever cruise so we don't know what to expect. We're on Uniworld's S.S. Maria Theresa for the Budapest to Passau river cruise. Are the boats decorated as well?

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I have really enjoyed reading the interesting posts on this thread. Thanks everyone! We will be flying out on December 1st for our first ever cruise so we don't know what to expect. We're on Uniworld's S.S. Maria Theresa for the Budapest to Passau river cruise. Are the boats decorated as well?

 

I sailed this cruise on the MT in Dec 2015. It was a great cruise. Below is a link to my day by day post:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2284201

 

Be happy to answer any questions you may have about the cruise.

 

You'll have a great experience.

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Are the boats decorated as well?

Yes, AND - one of the things I loved about rafting was being able to see how other boats were decorated!

 

We started our cruise in Nuremberg and were there a couple of days in advance - I bought a small (6 inch) fir wreath at the market and hung it on the mirror wall in our cabin with a suction hook. Nice scent to our cabin and it didn't take up any counter space or hamper cleaning.

 

We loved to turn on our tv fireplace (Avalon had, like, 12 channels with different fireplace scenes!) and some holiday music on my laptop and have a glass of wine while we got ready for dinner - very seasonal!

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Thanks everyone for all of the replies. I love the idea of buying the fir wreath because nothing smells more like Christmas than fresh cut trees and wreaths! I'll have to remember the suction cup for the mirror or door. We're starting to get excited and are revisiting threads on what to pack and how to dress. We're hoping the weather isn't too rainy or too cold, but either way, it will be an unforgettable experience. Nice to know that there will be decorations on the boat as well. Now to get all of our trees and decorations up at home before we leave!

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you are interested in those rare genuinely locally produced crafts, the stalls in the Vörösmarty tér Christmas Market (main Christmas market) in Budapest offer this kind of merchandise.

 

In a stall near the large Christmas tree you will find textiles from the Heves Folkart and Handcrafts Cooperative. There are weavings and handsome applique work. http://www.hevesfolkart.hu/english.html

 

Enjoy at least a look at their work. I think it's important to support local crafts people everywhere.

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Really nice suggestion, xmaser, thank you. I also believe that it is very important to support local trade, if it is actually made locally, even better. And if it is charitable or cooperative style, I am attracted to it even more. Might not buy something in the end but it always graps my attention. At a Christmas market in 2015 on the Rhine I bought lovely fridge magnets made by disabled people working in a local special school/workshop. Really cute. The Christmas market nearest to me always has a stall with items from such organisations. I am sure such stalls exist in some large markets as well. Worth looking out for. But I always also like looking at museum shops, by the way, they often have unusual things and are still produced in Europe sometimes. But one needs to look closely at the made in ... or designed in ... print on the reverse or underneath the product. Sadly so much is produced in Asia these days which could be made in Europe, but people are often cost-conscious these days without thinking further.

 

Folk art, this has just reminded me. I still have the souvenir of chicken picking on a table brought by a relative from Hungary. Those where four chickens (or five) pick in order depending on how you move the handheld table. They are made in other countries but mine is painted in traditional folk colours. Really sweet for children.

 

notamermaid

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If you are interested in those rare genuinely locally produced crafts, the stalls in the Vörösmarty tér Christmas Market (main Christmas market) in Budapest offer this kind of merchandise.

 

In a stall near the large Christmas tree you will find textiles from the Heves Folkart and Handcrafts Cooperative. There are weavings and handsome applique work. http://www.hevesfolkart.hu/english.html

 

Enjoy at least a look at their work. I think it's important to support local crafts people everywhere.

 

Thanks for the excellent suggestions Xmaser and Notamermaid. We are starting to get excited again, as we will be in Budapest two months from today! Now if I could only lose some weight before then.....

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Budapest was a surprise to us and we did the Nutcracker which was a highlight along with a Walking food tour, Vienna is beautiful, Melk and the shops coming down from the abbey tour were interesting, Passau was a favorite small town with nice little Christmas market, just walking around the towns and stopping for a drink and conversation with locals, and meeting interesting people on the ship some we still vacation with is part of the great experience of river cruising, enjoy!

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